


Star-Crossed

by minhoinator



Category: SHINee
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Guard!Minho, M/M, prince!kibum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-24
Updated: 2018-04-25
Packaged: 2019-04-27 01:27:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14414679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minhoinator/pseuds/minhoinator
Summary: “Taste this.”Minho blinked, his gaze darting from the cake to the prince’s eyes. There seemed to be an amused sort of twinkle in them, though that could just be Minho’s imagination. “Is there something wrong with it, your Highness?”The prince huffed quietly and he squinted. “It could be poisoned, you never know.”





	1. Let Him Eat Cake

The royal family took their meals at the same time every day, without fail. Minho’s mother, the palace’s long-time head cook, was always a stickler for consistency, especially when it came to serving the royal family. As one of the doormen and the occasional guard, it made Minho’s job a little bit easier.

This afternoon, however, he was late for tea.

It was his own fault, really. he had snuck one of the books from the library up to his room and then proceeded to stay up all night reading it. He had almost been late for the breaking of the fast, but he had glanced out the window in time to see the sun had already risen. After the morning meal, he returned to his room – shirking his other duties, just for the moment – to finish his book. There were only a few pages left; he could read it fast and be on his way.

Or, so he thought.

Minho woke up way past noon, his face planted in the book. “Fuck,” he whispered, his heart beating out of his chest as he wiped the little bit of drool from off the page. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”

Tea was already taken, by now, and his lack of presence at his post had definitely been noticed. He snapped the book closed and tossed to the head of his bed, straightening his uniform as he ran to the door of the dining hall. Breathing heavily, he peeked inside the crack of the slightly-open door and met eyes with Ki – no, the prince.

Gulping, Minho backed away from the crack and stood with his back facing the door, his posture rigid. After a moment, his breathing calmed and his heartbeat returned to normal. He scanned the wall opposite him, attempting to find the brick he left off on. “Ah, three-hundred-sixty-eight, three-hundred-sixty-ni – ”

A light rapping on the door behind him surprised him, and Minho turned to see warm brown eyes of the prince himself. His heart stuttered to a stop momentarily. “I need you to come in and taste this for me.”

“What…I mean,” he cleared his throat when the prince’s brow furrowed in either confusion or anger. “Yes, your Highness.”

The prince stepped away from the door to let Minho inside. Despite his many years roaming the palace, Minho had only been inside the royal dining hall once, and that had been years ago. Mother had been setting up for a banquet for visiting nobility and Father could not watch him for the day. As Minho stepped inside now, he looked all around, taking in as much as he could.

Three fireplaces roared with life, a cross of swords and the royal family crest hanging over the center mantel. A collection of other weapons hung on the walls around them, whether they were just for show or not, Minho wasn’t sure. Crystals gleamed in the candlelight on the chandeliers hanging above the long table, sending myriad tiny rainbows across the walls, table, and floor. Tapestries depicting the histories of their nation hung along the walls, dust collecting on their threads.

The prince coughed and Minho started, realizing then just how long he had been looking around the dining hall. He was already back at his seat, the first chair to the left of the king’s, and was watching Minho expectantly. He bowed, cringing as he did. “My apologies, your Highness. It won’t happen again.”

“I expect not. Now, come here.” Minho hurried to obey, folding his hands behind his back when he reached the prince’s side. He took his fork and cut off a bit of the cake that had been served with the afternoon tea and held it out to Minho. “Taste this.”

Minho blinked, his gaze darting from the cake to the prince’s eyes. There seemed to be an amused sort of twinkle in them, though that could just be Minho’s imagination. “Is there something wrong with it, your Highness?”

The prince huffed quietly and he squinted. “It could be poisoned, you never know.” Minho’s eyebrows shot up. They both knew that was a blatant lie. Kib…the prince was very much aware that Minho’s mother was the cook and had been for longer than either of them had been alive. Minho looked down at the cake and suppressed a small smile.

It was his favorite – a dark chocolate cake with raspberry mousse between the layers of cake and a rich chocolate ganache covering the outside.

He licked his lips and looked back at the prince, the cake wobbling a little as he shook the fork toward Minho. Bending forward a little, Minho took the fork from the prince’s hand and held his own below it to catch the cake in case it fell.

It – fuck, it was so good – reminded him of his childhood, sitting at the servant’s table in the kitchens and eating the last piece of cake while his mother finished cleaning up for the day.

Sometimes, when Kibum…the prince…was done with his studies for the day, he would join him and they would share whatever Minho’s mother would give them to snack on. They were the best of friends, back in the day, before Minho moved to the country with his father when he and his mother split up. Minho had been back in the palace for a little under a month now, but he and the prince had yet to exchange words until, well, now.

“So? Is it safe to eat?”

Minho licked at a bit of ganache still on his lips and nodded. “Yes, Ki – your Highness.”

The prince’s eyes brightened as he took the fork back from Minho. He cut off a piece for himself, savoring it as he ate it. Minho looked back to the door, checking for movement in the sliver between the doors. The sound of tea being poured drew his attention again, and Minho bowed slightly again. “If that’s all you need, your – ”

“The tea might be poisoned, too.” Minho scoffed before he could hold it back, and the prince smirked. He waited for the prince to pass him the steaming teacup, confused when it did not happen right away. “One does not take tea while standing,” he nodded to the chair beside him, and Minho gulped. “Go on. Sit.”

“Is…is that all right?”

A laugh bubbled out of the prince, and Minho melted a little. “I say it is. Sit.”

The legs of the chair squeaked against the stone tiles as Minho pulled the chair on the other side of the prince out. He sunk into the plush cushion and wrung his hands in his lap. The prince cut off another bite of cake before he set the plate between them. He offered Minho the empty fork when he had taken his bite, shaking it a little when Minho did not look over right away.

“Something the matter, Min?” Minho blinked and met the prince’s gaze. He smiled – somewhat bashfully, for him – and held out the fork. “What? Did you think I would forget you?”

Minho almost choked on his own saliva and ended up having to grab the tea to clear his throat. Kibum poured him – or them, Minho wasn’t sure – another cup of tea, his brow furrowed slightly in what seemed to be concern. “I’m not sure what I expected, your….Ki…Kibum.“ 

"I guess I can understand that,” Kibum said, his cheeks dimpling and coloring as his smiled. “You’ve grown up since you’ve been away." 

Minho could feel Kibum appreciative gaze, and he took the opportunity to indulge himself as well. The prince was now almost as tall as he was, he guessed, because they were both sitting. His hair was beautifully styled and scented with lavender oil. Kibum raised a scarred eyebrow when Minho met his eyes, and Minho quickly lowered his gaze to the table. He chuckled and twirled the fork between his fingers before he cut off another bite of cake. 

"Yes, well,” Minho said, internally cringing in preparation for negative backlash. “That’s what happens when time passes.”

Kibum clicked his tongue before he exhaled lightly. “You still haven’t changed though. I like that.” Minho’s eyes widened as he looked up, and he relaxed when he saw the fondness in Kibum’s smile. “How is your father?”

“He…well, he died.” The prince reached out and rubbed his shoulder. Minho tried very hard not to lean into the touch. “I’m all right, really. We were all surprised that he lived as long as he did.” 

“Is your brother tending to the farm, then?” 

“Yes, for now.” 

“Well,” Kibum dropped his hand from Minho’s shoulder and took up the fork again, dragging the tines through the ganache. “I am truly sorry for your loss, but I’m…glad you’ve returned.” 

Minho froze, staring blankly at the cake as Kibum cut off another bite. Was…was it possible that…no, it couldn’t be…

Years ago, the night before Minho left, Kibum had stormed into his room and dragged him up to the tallest tower in the castle. He had brought blankets and they wrapped themselves up as they stared at the night sky. They talked of everything and nothing, both avoiding the subject of Minho’s imminent departure in just a few hours. As the night drew on, Kibum took his hand in his, interlocking their fingers. 

Then – and this, Minho would never forget for as long as he lived – he kissed the back of Minho’s hand and whispered, “Please, don’t go.”

They fell asleep in each other’s arms, tracks of dried tears staining their cheeks. Once the sun rose, Minho helped Kibum back to his room and tucked him into bed. He had to pry Kibum’s fists off the front of his tunic, but before he left, he pushed the prince’s disheveled hair off his forehead and kissed him there. 

Minho glanced up at Kibum, who was pointedly looking at the cake. Was it possible that his feelings hadn’t changed in all these years? Everything in the room seemed lighter now – the air, the lights, even his own heart. 

Gulping, Minho reached out and took the fork from Kibum’s, their fingers brushing together. “I bet the, uh, the stars will be pretty tonight.”

The smallest hint of a smirk graced Kibum’s lips, and Minho’s heart skipped a beat. “They’re pretty every night.”

“I agree.” Minho took another bite of cake before he set the fork down. Kibum’s fingers twitched toward his hand as Minho pushed away from the table. He bit back a smile as he moved toward the door, and did his best to school his features before he faced Kibum again. Their eyes met before Minho bowed deeply. “If there isn’t anything else you need, I’ll be returning to my post.”

Kibum shook his head, his eyes wide in what Minho thought might be confusion.

“Will I be seeing you later, Your Highness?” 

A playful smile curled the prince’s lips, and he raised his chin. “Yes, I think you will.” With that, Minho closed the door, his own grin spreading so wide that he couldn’t contain it anymore even if he wanted to.


	2. Worth the Wait

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The sun had dipped below the horizon and the stars were glittering brightly overhead before Minho joined Kibum in the tower. Kibum turned when he heard his rushed footsteps echoing in the stairwell, and he was breathless when he reached the doorway.
> 
> “Hello,” Kibum said eventually, smiling when Minho took a step closer.

There is a phenomenon that occurs when one is waiting for a certain moment to arrive. What happens is that time itself seems to crawl by, each second dragging on much longer than it should and each minute overstaying its welcome.

For his part, Kibum thought that dinner might never arrive tonight. Or that the sun might never set. Or even that night might never come.

Once the bell was rung for dinner, he bolted out of his room. He would have run down the stairs had it not been for the many servants milling about the corridors. So, he forced himself to calm and slowly made his way down to the dining hall.

When he reached the top of the stairs, he caught a glimpse of the dining hall door and smiled.

Minho was at his post.

He stood stoically still, his blank gaze fixed on the opposite wall as Kibum’s family and whatever visiting nobility filed into the dining hall. Kibum hurried down the steps and made his way over to him. He tried to catch Minho's eye like he always did since his return to the castle. As usual, he did not meet Kibum's eye....however, this time he tried to suppress a smile. It was faint -- barely an upward curl of his lips -- but it met his eyes. Kibum's heart started beating so fast that he thought he was going to die.

But, he didn't, and he stepped through into the dining room, and Minho closed the door behind him. 

Dinner was droll, to say the least. His eyes kept flicking to the closed door in the hopes that he might be able to see even a sliver of Minho. Mother snapped her fingers, her stern gaze darting to the daughter of the visiting duke before she went back to her dinner. With a heavy sigh, Kibum made some polite conversation with her for the rest of the meal.

He ate light -- too nervous and excited about seeing Minho afterward -- and when Father eventually rang for dessert to be served, the servants brought out the cake from afternoon tea. His hands shook as he reached for his fork and cut off a bit of the cake. 

Torchlight flickered on the walls, the dancing shadows making Kibum think that the door opened.

“Something the matter?” the duke’s daughter asked, and Kibum glanced over at her. 

He let out his pent-up breath and sat back in his chair, smiling as he shrugged. “No, everything is fine.”

She reached for the fork in Kibum’s hand, taking the bite he had cut off for herself. “You just seem distracted, that’s all.” She smiled as she passed him back his fork.

It took everything within him to keep his disgust from being too apparent. “Uh, keep it,” he said, pushing his cake toward her. “I’m finished.” Standing, he bowed to the room and then his father. “If you would excuse me, I think I’m going to turn in for the night.”

“Rest well, son.”

“Thank you, I will.” He bowed once more when he reached the door, and he rapped the door lightly with his knuckles. The door opened, and he walked outside. He stepped out of the way for Minho to close the door behind him. 

“Is...dinner finished?”

Kibum looked up at him, smiling as soon as he met Minho’s eyes. They were blown wide, like they used to be whenever Kibum would tell Minho about whatever new fact his tutor had just taught him. It was adorable then and it was adorable now.

“No, but I am. I think I’m going to turn in for the night.” 

His smile shifting to a sort of smirk before he started for the stairs. As he walked, he could feel Minho’s eyes on him the whole time, and when he turned at the top of the stairs, Minho’s head quickly snapped to the opposite wall. Even from this distance, Kibum could see the concentrated furrow in his brow. 

Chuckling, he returned to his room and he slumped against his door once he closed it. “Fuck...” He slipped his boots off and tossed them across the room as he made his way over to his bed, falling face first into the blankets. Kibum banged his head on the mattress before he rolled over, and covered his eyes with the crook of his arm.

What if...he was just imagining things? What if Minho did not feel the same way? This afternoon could have been just a figment of his imagination. Did Minho think of the night that he left as often as Kibum did? He must since he had been the one to bring up the stars...

“You’re just over-thinking this,” Kibum mumbled to himself.

Sighing, he sat up and looked around his room. The night would be cool, not cold -- it was early summer, after all. He should change into something more comfortable than his current formal attire. After some internal debating, Kibum decided to change into a warm pair of his nightclothes. He grabbed the comforter off his bed and hurriedly made his way up to the tallest tower.

“Oh...my god?”

The breeze whisked away his whispered words, but Kibum stood frozen in the doorway, his hand clutching at his heart. The sun was almost set, its golden rays gilding the arched windows. Unlit candles were scattered on the banisters and the floor and several blankets were neatly folded atop one that was spread out on the ground. 

If he were being honest with himself, Kibum was not quite sure what he had been expecting out of tonight. It certainly had not been this. He giggled, then covered his mouth with his hand, as if someone had heard him. Sighing, he wrapped his comforter around his shoulders and made his way around the candles and to the opposite side of the tower. Kibum could feel the stupid love-struck smile on his face as he watched the sunset, but he could not really help himself.

The sun had dipped below the horizon and the stars were glittering brightly overhead before Minho joined Kibum in the tower. Kibum turned when he heard his rushed footsteps echoing in the stairwell, and he was breathless when he reached the doorway.

“Hello,” Kibum said eventually, smiling when Minho took a step closer.

“I came as fast as I could,” Minho said as he dug into his pocket for his matchbox. A couple scratches, and soon a soft golden halo illuminated Minho’s face and hands. “I’m sorry I made you wait.” He cupped his hand around the first candle as he lit the wick, doing the same with the next. “That wasn’t my intention.”

“You were worth the wait.”

Even in the darkness, Kibum could see Minho’s blush. “I hope you don’t mind the extra light,” he said as he moved to the other end of the tower, striking a fresh match. “I...I thought it might be nice.” 

Kibum folded his hands on the banister and watched Minho bustle around to try to make this perfect. It was cute, really, how hard he was trying when all Kibum wanted was him to show up. The effort Minho made, however, put whatever doubts Kibum had had to rest. 

Almost ten years had passed since their last night spent together in this tower, but the feelings remained the same. It was more than Kibum dared to even hope. 

Once all the candles were lit, Minho stilled and looked around once more. When Kibum reached out and patted the banister beside him, Minho’s shoulders relaxed slightly, and he moved to join him. “You were right.”

“About what?” Minho asked.

“The stars. They’re beautiful tonight.” Minho looked up at the night sky and Kibum looked over at him. 

The faint light from the stars and from the glowing moon etched his profile in silver against the night. It was simply breath-taking. A lock of hair fell into Minho’s eyes, and without a second thought, Kibum reached out to brush it back for him. He froze when he realized what he had done, but Minho’s calloused hand took Kibum’s and he held it gently between them. Soon, Minho started tracing lines into the back of his hand.

When Minho finally spoke, his voice was so soft that Kibum almost missed it. “I missed you, you know. Not a day went by that I didn’t think of you.”

Kibum laced their fingers together, smiling when Minho started to trace circles around his knuckles. “It was the same for me.” 

“Really?”

He nodded and Minho sighed. His grip tightened on Kibum’s hand as he brought it up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of his hand. Kibum took a step closer, his hand cupping Minho’s face as he brushed away a fallen tear. “It’s only ever been you, Min.”

Minho’s eyes opened slowly, meeting Kibum’s. He leaned into Kibum’s palm as he continued to caress his cheek. “I -- uh,” Kibum’s gaze darted down to his lips. When Minho inclined his head, Kibum surged forward to meet his lips.

 _Finally_ , Kibum thought as the blanket around his shoulders dropped away and Minho pulled him closer. Kibum’s fingers carded through the wavy hair at the nape of Minho’s neck and he stepped up on his tiptoes, bringing them closer still. All those years of waiting; all those years of sitting through awkward conversations with the women his parents wanted him to marry. 

All those years...and it was worth it.

Kibum could not help but smile when he broke the kiss and Minho chased his lips, kissing the corner of his mouth with a sigh before Kibum captured his lips once again. And again. When they parted, Kibum left light kisses to the few freckles on Minho’s cheeks. 

Their breath mingled as Minho leaned his forehead against Kibum’s, his hands fisting in the fabric of his nightshirt. “I love you,” he said all at once, melting in Kibum’s arms a little when he kissed the tip of his nose.

“I love you, too. Of course I do.” 

The breeze picked up around them, and Kibum shivered involuntarily. Minho rubbed some warmth into his arms. “Let’s sit,” he said, kneeling to grab Kibum’s blanket as Kibum went over to the one spread out on the floor. They bundled up, holding onto each other beneath the blankets. 

The stars twinkled in the night, and Kibum stared at them with a sleepy smile as Minho trailed soft kisses from his temple to his cheekbone to his dimpled cheek. His hand found Minho’s under the blankets, and he brought their joined hands to his chest. Sighing, Kibum snuggled closer to Minho, relishing in the warmth of his embrace. 

“Finally,” he whispered, and Minho hummed in agreement. Finally, indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this is the last that I'm writing for this AU (I want to get back to writing _By My Side_ , dammit), but, here's what happens to them:
> 
> A few months later, six at the most, they leave the castle in the dead of night. Minho leaves a note for his mother to say goodbye, but that's the only trail they leave. No trace of them is ever seen in the kingdom of Kibum's father ever again.
> 
> They leave and travel to the farthest village they can find and buy a farm. Kibum takes to the life quicker than Minho expects and they live quite happily there to the end of their days.
> 
> Some years after their arrival, a young widow passes away during childbirth and they offer to care for the baby until someone else comes along. Eventually, they end up adopting the orphan as their own.
> 
> All in all, they're happy with their new lives and they are over-joyed that they get to spend the rest of their lives together in peace. No one in their village recognize Kibum for who is is/was and they never really bring up his former status (unless Minho is teasing him, of course then he fucking pulls out the "Your Highness"....Kibum is anything but amused lol)

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah so I had a couple requests for a sequel to this so this is no longer a drabble/oneshot and so it's moved from my SHINee drabbles series lol


End file.
